Join us for a Service Saturday on November 2!

Stretch your muscles! Breathe fresh fall air! Hang out with friends and lend a helping hand!
Youth and adult fellowship groups, individuals, families – everyone is invited to our second Fall 2019 Service Saturday on November 2.
Projects vary, depending on the skills of those involved and the weather. Stacking wood, painting, cleaning and raking leaves are on the list, as are a variety of skilled labor projects. The work may not be glamorous, but it really does make a BIG DIFFERENCE!
Click here for a flyer to post and share, and here for a typical Work Day schedule. Please let us know in advance if you plan to attend. It would be a shame if we ran out of paint, nails or fresh-baked cookies! Contact DuBois Center at 618-787-2202 or dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org.

Confirmand Power!

It’s amazing what a group of Illinois South Conference confirmands and chaperones can accomplish in just 90 minutes!

The crew attending the ISC Confirmation Retreat took the service aspect of their weekend to heart. Happy horses are now munching on green hay because one team unloaded and stacked 640 bales. The wood shed was also emptied, reorganized and is now ready for winter. And posts and rails were painted for upcoming fencing projects.

Positive attitudes, willing hearts and many hands definitely make the load lighter for all. THANKS for all your hard work!

Fall at DuBois Center

Hot off the presses and soon to be delivered to churches and homes near you – check out our fall activities brochure and event registration form.
Make time to take in the beauty of the season at DuBois Center! From work days to retreats to our annual Fall Festival, there’s something for everyone in the fall.
Upcoming dates you don’t want to miss:
Sept 24        Green DuBois Meeting
Sept 28        Service Saturday
Sept 30        1st Day of Nature’s Classroom
Oct 5            Fall Festival Work Day
October 6    FALL  FESTIVAL
Oct 11-12     ISC Confirmation Retreat
Oct 12          Green DuBois Stewardship Day,
                     Wrangle & Ride
Nov 2           Service Saturday

Welcome Work Campers!

A team from Christ UCC in Dupo, with a neighbor from St. Paul in Belleville, rolled into camp yesterday morning and got straight to work. Here for most of the week, they have a full slate of projects including safety enhancements in the cottages, screen and door repairs in the rustic cabins, new brighter lights for the rustic shower house and elsewhere, an extended deck for the chapel in main camp, as well as a number of other smaller, less glamorous projects.

Pictured are Larry Godare (above) and Marvin Doerr (right) building openings to make the Ga-ga pit more accessible.

THANKS to this crew and all volunteers that make a difference throughout the year! Watch for updates on Facebook.

Lenten Work Days – Recap

      
It is truly amazing what can be accomplished by enthusiastic and willing workers in short periods of time! A HUGE THANKS to volunteers from Carbondale Church of the Good Shepherd UCC, Grantfork UCC, Trenton St. John UCC, Nashville St. Paul UCC, New Baden Zion UCC, Hookdale St. Peter UCC, and other friends of DuBois Center for joining us for our Lenten Work Days this spring.
Rotted sections of wood were removed from the Nature’s Classroom buildings. In their place, a new deck was built and fascia installed. New gutters are awaiting their rain barrels. Leaves and dead branches throughout camp have been removed, as well as a fallen tree that was blocking a horse trail. Benches and equipment were moved out of storage and set in place. Work continued on the fences around camp and at the lumber shed. Deer Run Lodge was opened and tidied. And last, but definitely not least, support work on the bridge between Oak and Hickory Lodges was completed.
This work makes a significant difference! We are thankful for the new and old friends and their gifts of time and talent!

Lenten Work Day – April 13

Stretch your muscles, get a little dirty and make a difference on Saturday, April 13! Help spruce up the grounds for our busy spring and summer seasons. It’s a great Lenten discipline for you and a wonderful way to get involved and help at DuBois Center. Projects vary depending on the weather and the skills of the workers – carpentry, cleaning, painting, raking and more. A hearty lunch is provided. Check out and share this flyer.

RSVP by Monday, April 8 to 618-787-2202 or email. If this date doesn’t work for you, there will be a Green DuBois Stewardship Day on Saturday, April 27 – or call to set up a different day for your family, church or friend group!

Green DuBois Work Day

Green DuBois organized removal of scrap metal from camp last week, with the help of Garrett Pribble, his father, Clifton and brother, Nathan. All told, they hauled off nearly 12,000 lbs of metal, greatly improving the area around the lumber shed and clearing several shelves in the maintenance building. There’s still at least one more load to go, which is planned for later this month. Thank you, all, for your help!

Lenten Work Day – March 23

Looking for a meaningful Lenten discipline? How about pitching in with family and friends, and making a difference at DuBois Center? Stretch your muscles, get a little dirty and help spruce up the grounds. Projects vary depending on the weather and the skills of the workers – carpentry, cleaning, painting and raking are on the list. A hearty lunch is provided.

Check out this flyer for more information. RSVP to DuBois Center by Monday, March 18, at 618-787-2202 or dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org. If the March date doesn’t work for you, there will be another Service Saturday on April 13 – or call to set up a different day for your church group!

Upcoming Events at DuBois Center

There are so many fantastic events coming up soon at DuBois Center! Check out the list below and click on the links for more details. For information about these and other events, or how you can plan your own, contact us at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.
Thursday, March 14: Green DuBois Meeting – Highland
Saturday, March 23: Wrangle & Ride Horse Day – DuBois Center
Saturday, March 23: Service Saturday – DuBois Center
Friday, March 29 – Sunday, March 31: Father-Son Retreat – DuBois Center
Wednesday, April 10: Nature’s Classroom Spring Season Begins
Saturday, April 13: Wrangle & Ride Horse Day – DuBois Center
Saturday, April 13: Service Saturday – DuBois Center
Saturday, April 27: Green DuBois Stewardship Day – DuBois Center
Sunday, April 28: DuBois Center Thank You Party – DuBois Center
Sunday, May 5: Rustic Block Party for Middle Schoolers – DuBois Center
Monday, May 13 – Thursday, May 16: Christ UCC Dupo Work Days – DuBois Center
Monday, May 20 – Wednesday, May 22: Southern Illinois Art Workshop – DuBois Center
Wednesday, May 29: Summer Camp Staff Training Begins
Sunday, June 9: First Day of Summer Camp 2019!

Participate in Green DuBois Next Saturday

Join the team and make a difference this Saturday, February 16, when we will remove invasive species, such as Japanese honeysuckle. Invasives are insidious – “choking out” native plants and affecting tree reproduction essential for healthy forests, so we need to remove them to ensure the health of our grounds and native species!
This is a great opportunity to move those muscles and meet and work with others who care about the environment. We’ll work to rescue wildlife habitat, support native plant populations and help ensure the future of DuBois Center’s wonderful woodlands.
No special skills are needed. Dress for the weather – layers recommended – and bring lopping shears if you have them. The minimum age to participate is 16, unless accompanied by a parent. Lunch will be provided. For more information, or to sign up, contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202. Please RSVP by MONDAY, FEB 11.